811b.628/6
The British Ambassador (Lindsay) to the Secretary of State
Sir: I have the honour to inform you that the Governor of British North Borneo, at the instance of the British North Borneo Chartered Company, has been taking steps to preserve the hawksbill turtle fisheries under his jurisdiction. A Gazette Notification of 1927 prohibited the sale or purchase of immature turtle shell and further Gazette Notifications of the following year prohibited the use of line and sinker for the capture of turtles and the capture or destruction of hawksbill turtles for a period of twelve months as from January 1st, 1929, it being the intention of the Government of North Borneo when the close season for 1929 was declared to declare a close season each alternate year for the next six years.
In order to carry out with a greater measure of success the steps thus taken to preserve the hawksbill turtle fisheries, the North Borneo Chartered Company would be glad to learn whether there is a possibility of the United States authorities in the Philippines being willing to cooperate in this matter by declaring in their southern waters a close season at the same time as in North Borneo and by prohibiting in their waters the use of line and sinker and the sale or purchase of immature turtle shell.
[Page 60]A copy of a report by Mr. James Hornell, F.L.S., F.R.A.I., late Director of Fisheries to the Government of Madras, on the turtle fisheries of the Seychelles Islands is enclosed herewith68 for the information of the United States Government.
I have [etc.]
- Not found in Department files.↩